LESDUTA

"The Lesduta live in the mountains at the northern end of Lake Como. They are half- Bombyx Mori & half- Homo Sapiens. All members of the community are required to spin silk for commodity rather than cocoons. However, once per year, a lottery is held, in which one woman and one man are awarded the opportunity to complete their life cycles by becoming moths and mating. For the following year, the aerial lovers hover above their terrestrial cousins and shadow the daily commute to and from the village of Como, where the worms exchange silk for their dietary staple of mulberry leaves. The beating of the moths' wings is the source of the tivano: the northerly, morning lake winds; and the breva: the southerly, evening lake winds."

A myth was composed for the people of Como, Italy and presented to the mayor. I assembled a sculptural portrait of a Lesdutan couple in courtship. Following the exhibition, the Lesdutan sculptures were disposed of and now if one visits Como and looks closely, one can see red & white silken bird nests containing chicks with beaks agape, awaiting their mothers to drift home upon the breva or the tivano with a worm.

Materials used:

Silk & Invasive, non-indigenous weeds that have thrived upon the excrement of squatters residing in a dilapidated fabric warehouse located behind the exhibition space.